As part of the efforts of the government to address food security due to the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, DOST-PCAARRD funded a project called USWAG IKCP: Urban Spaces as Workplace for Augmenting Income through Gulayan sa Pamayanan Iloilo Kontra COVID-19 Project. This is an offshoot of DOST-PCAARRD’s 2020 campaign called GALING PCAARRD (Good Agri-Aqua Livelihood Initiatives Towards National Goals).
USWAG IKCP was launched last February 16, 2022 by the implementing agency, the University of the Philippines Visayas, under the leadership of Prof. Ruben M. Gamala of the UPV College of Management. The cooperating agencies include the Iloilo City LGU, through the Office of the City Agriculturist and WESVARRDEC (Western Visayas Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium).
USWAG IKCP engaged 9 barangays in Iloilo City and 1 barangay in Miagao, Iloilo with a total of 100 household partners. The participants were given a series of trainings and workshops, and were provided with packs of various vegetable seeds and sets of gardening tools.
USWAG IKCP aimed to utilize unused urban spaces for vegetable gardening using recommended POT (Package of Technology) to reduce cases of food insecurity, malnutrition, and hunger in urban households. It has been implemented for 18 months and will commence on August 15, 2023.
